Federal MPs react with sorrow to Ottawa transit collision

A Via Rail train and a city bus collided in Ottawa’s west end Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. CP/Terry Pedwell

Federal reaction to Wednesday morning’s deadly collision between a Via Rail train and an Ottawa bus was swift and sorrowful.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet ministers offered sympathy to those affected by the tragedy in the city’s west end as officials continued to investigate the cause.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt announced via Twitter that her office had appointed someone to oversee the investigation.

“We have sent 2 TC inspectors and will be appointing a Ministerial Observer on the investigation,” Raitt tweeted around 10:30 a.m. Earlier on Twitter, she called the incident a “tragedy.”

Officials confirmed in a press conference at Ottawa City Hall that five people died at the scene of the collision and a sixth died later in hospital.

The double-decker bus was heading northbound on a transitway parallel to Woodroffe Ave., around 8:45 a.m. when it collided with a Via Rail train heading to Toronto. The train originated in Montreal and had stopped in Ottawa to pick up more passengers, the CBC reported.

Officials refused to give details on the condition of the bus driver and the cause of the accident at the press conference, but did confirm that 31 people were taken to hospital. Ten of those remain in critical condition, officials said.

“Deeply saddened to hear about the bus-train collision in Ottawa,” Harper tweeted shortly after 10:00 a.m. “Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the families of those involved.”

“Our hopes and prayers are with the #OCTranspo and @Via_rail passengers and their families during this difficult moment,” she wrote.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called the event a “tragedy” via Twitter and offered his prayers to the victims. In an official statement, he said

“As a local Member of Parliament, and as a life-long resident of our community, I will be in close contact with local authorities and city officials in the coming days,” he said in an official statement.

The collision occurred in the Nepean-Carleton riding of Minister of State for Democratic Reform Pierre Poilievre. A spokeswoman for Poilievre said he was taking calls and “monitoring the situation” from his constituency office.

Poilievre called the crash a “tragic accident.”

“What has happened is truly devastating for our community,” he said in an official statement.

Ottawa’s double-decker buses have run into problems on Woodrooffe Ave. before, with one double decker bus being pushed off the road because of heavy wind this April, according to the Ottawa Sun.

Liberal MP David McGuinty, whose Ottawa South riding is near the accident scene, said the accident was a “shock” but that it was too early to speculate who is to blame.

“We can’t even begin to do that,” McGuinty said from a caucus meeting. “There are so many unanswered questions about what happened here.”

“Did the driver have a heart attack, did the breaks fail, was there a distraction, there are all kinds of possibilities.”

Because OC Transpo also services Gatineau, it falls under federal jurisdiction.